Deputy Premier Minister of Finance Minister of Infrastructure Minister Responsible for the Northwest Territories Power Corporation
Caroline Wawzonek was first elected to the 19th Legislative Assembly in 2019 as the Member for Yellowknife South. Ms. Wawzonek served as Minister of Justice, Minster of Finance, Minister responsible for the Status of Women and the Minister of Industry, Tourism and Investment. In 2023, Ms. Wawzonek was acclaimed to the 20th Legislative Assembly and returned to Executive Council as Deputy Premier, Minister of Finance, Minister of Infrastructure and the Minister Responsible for the NWT Power Corporation.
Ms. Wawzonek holds a Bachelor of Arts from the University of Calgary (2000) and a law degree from the University of Toronto, Faculty of Law (2005). Her academic journey included language studies in China and Taiwan, as well as legal internships in the Philippines and England. Born in Calgary, AB, she has called Yellowknife home since 2007.
After establishing her criminal law practice post-admission to the Law Society of the NWT, Ms. Wawzonek appeared in all levels of NWT courts and engaged in circuit court travel. She later joined Dragon Toner, expanding her practice to general litigation and administrative law until becoming a member of the 19th Assembly.
Since 2007, she has taken on leadership roles in the legal community, including the presidency of the Law Society of the Northwest Territories (LSNT), section chair for the Canadian Bar Association Northwest Territories Branch (CBA-NT), and committee membership in various working groups. Her community involvement extends to appointments in multiple Yellowknife organizations, and she received a national award in 2017 for her contributions to Canadian Women in Law.
Ms. Wawzonek, a mother of two, enjoys running, paddleboarding, and time outdoors.
Mr. Speaker, if the residents of the Sahtu are facing fuel bills that result in them being unable to fill their fuel tanks even as they're working full-time, that is going to be a crisis. It's going to be a crisis the minute somebody can't fill their fuel bills, something like their house fuel is up -- or freezes up. They're literally people are unable to stay in their homes. So, yes, I mean, in that sense, Mr. Speaker, it absolutely is a crisis. It's how we respond, how quickly we can respond, and doing so in a way that actually allows people to continue to live, work, reside, be in the Sahtu...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, I certainly appreciate creative solutions. So I certainly can say as I, you know, indicated or implied in my last response, the Member for the Sahtu, myself, and other Members of Cabinet met with federal officials last week in Ottawa to address this very issue. Multiple departments were represented from the federal government, putting to them that we're going to need some supports that given this crisis, the impact that it's having across government, given the impacts of low water across government on a number of fronts, we are stretched. But we've put this...
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 28)
Mr. Speaker, I'm very pleased to have an opportunity to recognize Gayla Thunstrom. She is the UNW president and also a resident of Yellowknife South.
Mr. Speaker, before I'm done, I happen to have three pages also with us this week. Aima Tabbaa, Olivia Costache, Elizabeth Stewart. thank you very much for your help and service this week in the House.
Debates of
, 20th Assembly, 1st Session (day 28)
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, not everyone might be watching would have seen although they would have heard the vote. I do want to note and make the point that Cabinet although didn't speak initially to the motion did make a choice together that we would stand and support having this motion brought to the floor. We wanted to have this opportunity for everyone, including Members on this side of the House, with me, as an opportunity to speak to voice the recognition of what is happening in Norman Wells.
Mr. Speaker, everyone is voicing support for Norman Wells. I hope there's absolutely no...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, the good news here is that all of the largest GNWT assets in Norman Wells actually are already equipped with biomass heating systems. This is five systems over a thousand kilowatt hours are all operated through a pellets system. And the benefit of that, again, is that it creates the local supply demand -- or rather it creates local demand which then encourages a supply chain and a bit of an economy of scale in that regard. So with respect to whether or not there can be changes also brought in to smaller units, smaller assets, I'll certainly go back and see...
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. And, Mr. Speaker, I appreciate the question. There is work happening in this space and one of the ways that we support the supply chains is by actually being one of the larger consumers of biomass products and wood pellet products. For instance, about 32 percent of all GNWT heating load is right now met with biomass which does make us a fairly big player in terms of supporting the local resources that there may be in order to have a supply of wood pellets happening on a regular basis, and this may well be an opportunity for those in the Sahtu, where the almost $2...
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput, that Bill 10, Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), 2024-2025, be read for the third time. And thank you, Mr. Speaker, I'd request a recorded vote.
Mr. Speaker, I move, seconded by the honourable Member for Nunakput, that Bill 10, Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), 2024-2025, be read for the second time.
This bill authorizes the Government of the Northwest Territories to make appropriations for operations expenditures for the 2024-2025 fiscal year. It also sets out limits on amounts that may be borrowed by the Commissioner on behalf of the government, includes information in respect of all existing borrowing and all projected borrowing for the fiscal year, and authorizes the making of disbursements to pay the principal of the...
Mr. Speaker, I wish to present to the House Bill 10, Appropriation Act (Operations Expenditures), 2024-2025, to be read for the first time. Thank you, Mr. Speaker.
Thank you, Mr. Speaker. Mr. Speaker, one can support a motion without voting in favour of it and that is the situation I'm likely to find myself in, and my colleagues here in Cabinet will be abstaining on this. But I did want to speak to the motion.
The Member from the Sahtu has been voracious in terms of promoting the need for this highway. Mr. Speaker, myself, my office, we hear from him regularly. And, Mr. Speaker, I appreciate that. It helps keep us on our toes, and it helps push something, and it helps push something when there's so many other things going on. There is absolutely no doubt...
